The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-10-14

every hill of corn, and head of grain
and every ho"f, for the purpose of ab.
sorbing them. We are constantly un-
der the surveillance of a we'll trained
and conscienceless army of leeches, and
never until the farmers of this country
are thoroughly organized will that
crowd get off that fence and that army
fall back at respectful distance. Self
protection and common sense point to
organization as the only means bv
which we can secure and preserve our
rights. All the progress that has been
made in the last ten years in the way of
reform has been made as the result of
organization among farmers, and
study of history will bear out that
statement, and the reason that greater
progress has not been made is because
organization has not been more rapid.
The Inter State Commerce law, imper.
feet beginning of better things that are
sure to come, the legislation against the
great respectable fraud of the age, the
selling Of bogus butter as the genuine
article, legislation in the direction of
protection to our live stock interests,
the retaining Of great tracts of uuearn.
ed railroad lands-if indeed any lands
ever have been earned by the land
grant railroads are Enthusiastically the
result of organization among farmers.
and are sufficient to show us that we
have our own destiny and the destiny
Of this great Republic in our
own hands. Casting more than half
the vote of the country we can not
only insure recognition of our
rights, but the responsibility of Sc.
curing universal right and justice and
preserving our free institutions devolves
upon the farmers. Their passive in
fuence has done much to keep back the
great wave of destructive influence that
has threatened the very stability of the
Republic. But the time has come
when passive respectability and con
servatism are not sufficient. The Re.
public to day is in the trough of the
sea. From one quarter is coming a great
wave of monopoly, which is practical
communism that seeks to confiscate the
property of others and from another
quarter is coming a great wave of rag.
ged socialism and murderous anarchy
which not only seeks to copfscate our
property but to destroy our lives; and
the Republic must ever rest its sure
hope for protection in the sun-browned
hands of our farmers. They must come
to the rescue or ruin is inevitable.
They must counteract the utter failure
of self government in our large cities
by constituting good government in the
State and at Washington. 1t is not
ouly satisfaction, but source of en-.
couragement and a mighty advantage
in every effort that we may make
toward bettering our own condition and
establishing better conditions generally,
that the conservatism, patriotism and
love of right and justice, which are
conspicuous features of the aggregate
character of our farmers, is universally
recognized by all classes. When an.
archy boasts OF its power, it is quietly
and confidently referred to the millions
Of farmers. When the confiscation of
land is advocated for the benefit of laz.
mess and prodigality in the city, the
farmer is counted upon as a certain
opponent Of any such wild, commuuistic
doctrine. The farmer is universally
trusted, and he deserves all the conf.
dence that is reposed in him. He has
never demanded anything that was not
just and right and he never will. He
has never demanded legislation that
would give agriculture an advantage
over any other Legitimate industry. He
has simply demanded that he should
not be legislated against, and that the
laws which he willingly obeys shall be
enforced against lawless corporate or
ganizations.
All that We need to do at this meet.
ing and at all times, in order to achieve
our purposes, is to act with the same |
good common sense and conservatism
that has always distinguished our ac
tLoho' II VIC uohC uU uGmauu LQaC |
does not commend itself to the judg
ment of the unprejudiced, we can have
the satisfaction OF knowing that any
criticism that may be made is not hon.
est, and that any such criticism will not
only be harmless but will strengthen
our cause. Our motto, therefore, should
be the old and familiar one, "8e sure
you are right and then go ahead"
The Alliance in Nebraska, Minneso.
ia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan,
Idaho and Wisconsin has made signal
progress during the year, and in Dako
ia, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Tenn
essee, Arkansas, Washington Territory,
Idaho, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas
the work Of organizing has gone on with
energy. During the COM
ing year it is probable that half the
States will have State Alliances. The
National Alliance-which does not
charter where there ia an act;ua Stota